True Crime With Caledonian Kitty

 

(Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate. Picture credit: flickr.com) 

This is one of those cases that inspired a few Hollywood movies such as Natural Born Killers and Kalifornia amongst others. Bruce Springsteen even wrote a song about it. I am of course talking about the shocking killing spree that took place in Nebraska and Wyoming in the 1950s at the hands of 19 year old Charles Raymond Starkweather and his 14 year old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate.

This case is like something out of a novel and it's hard to believe that's it's true but these two young people murdered 10 people between December 1957 to January 1958 (Charles had committed a murder prior to the spree). Caril's part in the murders has always been debated as some people believe that she was led along in fear of Charles but others argue that she had plenty of opportunities to escape or raise the alarm but failed to do so.

They were like a young Bonnie and Clyde and Charles had a fixation on the late actor James Dean. Before I really looked into the case I remember seeing pictures of Charles and noticed that there was a pattern of quiffed hair and the cigarette hanging out of his mouth and I instantly thought of James Dean. Apparently he had seen the movie Rebel Without A Cause and he related to the character that James was playing.

Before I go into more of the case, don't forget you can find me on Instagram at @KittysOnTheCase as well as on other social media platforms

Please note that there may be some disturbing details included in this post.

Charles Raymond Starkweather was born into a respectable working class family in Lincoln, Nebraska on the 24th of November 1938. He was the third of seven children and although his family didn't have much money, they were careful with what they did have and so Charles and his siblings did not go without clothes or food. His parents were hard workers who taught their children to be responsible and well mannered.

Charles attended Saratoga Elementary School, Irving Middle School and Lincoln High School however his memories of school were not fond ones. Charles had been born with Genu Varum (also known as bow-leggedness) which caused his legs to be misshapen and affected his walking. He also had a speech impediment which caused him to be very self conscious, there were also other learning difficulties which caused him to struggle with certain subjects and it would take him a little bit longer to learn something. His teachers (who were not well versed in learning difficulties) simply put his struggles down to him not paying attention in class and failing to properly apply himself. To add to these struggles, he suffered a lot of bullying by his classmates.

As well as the learning difficulties, Genu Varum and speech impediment, he was diagnosed with having severe Myopia which meant that he could only see objects close up but from far away they would appear blurry, this may have contributed to his learning issues as he would not have been able to see what the teacher had been writing on the blackboard.

The one subject at school that Charles seemed to really enjoy and have a natural flair for was gym. Soon enough his confidence grew as he felt more stronger and physically fit but with this came a lot of arrogance and he would get revenge on the kids that bullied him but he would also pick on innocent kids.

A friend of Charles, Bob Von Busch would later say: ''He could be the kindest person you've ever seen. He'd do anything for you if he liked you. He was a hell of a lot of fun to be around, too. Everything was just one big joke to him. But he had this other side. He cold be mean as hell, cruel. If he saw some poor guy on the street who was bigger than he was, better looking, or better dressed, he'd try to take the poor b*stard down to his size,'' 

As I mentioned earlier, Charles became obsessed with James Dean after seeing the film Rebel Without A Cause. He identified strongly with the character that James was playing and started to grow his hair and style it like James, he also would have a cigarette hanging out of the edge of his mouth which was a kind of trademark of James Dean.

Charles was growing into a handsome boy but his well behaved manner was starting to take a turn as if he was trying to become like the character in Rebel Without A Cause.

Around 1956, Charles was introduced to a pretty 13 year old girl named Caril Ann Fugate. Even though Charles was much older at 18, it's not hard to imagine that Caril would have seen this good looking boy with this rebellious attitude and the whole James Dean vibe about him and developed a little crush. The feeling seemed to be mutual and they grew closer and started dating. Charles dropped out of school in his senior year and got a job in a warehouse which was near to where Caril went to school and he would visit her there everyday.

When his former employer later reflected on Charles as an employee, he said: ''Sometimes you'd have to tell him something two or three times. Of all the employees in the warehouse, he was the dumbest man we had.''

With Charles rebellious attitude, his parents were not happy, especially as he had managed to crash his car as he was teaching Caril how to drive. His father had to foot the bill for the damages and this resulted in a huge argument which ended with Charles being thrown out of his parents house.

Charles left his job at the warehouse and began working as a garbage collector. On his routes he would often go to some of the more affluent neighbourhoods and he would compare how the lifestyles of the people who lived in these places differed to his. On one of his routes he would collect the garbage from future talk show host Dick Cavett and would often chat to his father. He began using his garbage route to plot bank robberies and his personal motto which he believed in right up till his death was that ''Dead people are all on the same level.''

On the 30th of November 1957 Charles went to a service station to get a gift for Caril when the cashier, Robert Colvert, refused to give him credit, Charles wasn't happy and left the station. At 3:00am on the 1st of December 1957, Charles returned to the service station but this time he had a shotgun in his car. He seemed to be going back and forth with what he wanted to actually do because he returned a second time, left the shotgun in the car and bought a packet of cigarettes before driving away.

He returned again and bought a packet of chewing gum and began driving away. This time he parked his car a short distance away from the service station and decided to go back in with the shotgun where he tried to hold Robert Colvert at gunpoint, forcing him to hand over the money in the cash register. Charles then forced Robert into his car and drove him to a remote area in Lincoln. At some point there was a scuffle between the pair with Robert trying to grab a hold of the shotgun but he ended up getting shot in his knee caps. Charles then shot Robert in the head. Robert was just 21 years old and he was working extra shifts at the service station because his partner was pregnant. There was no personal relationship between him and Charles, they were unknown to each other.

After killing Robert, Charles later claimed that something inside him had changed and that he felt like he'd transcended his former self to a new place of existence.

(Caril Ann Fugate and Charles Starkweather. Picture credit: gizmodo.com) 

On the 21st of January 1958, Charles visited the family home of Caril but she wasn't there. Caril's mother and stepfather didn't approve of the relationship he had with their young daughter and told him to stay away. This resulted in an argument and Charles pulled out the shotgun and killed both Velda and Marion Bartlett, he also strangled and stabbed Betty Jean to death. Betty Jean was just two years old. He then hid the bodies in some outbuildings behind the house. Charles later claimed that Caril had been there the whole time the killings were taking place.

Caril's version of events is that she returned home to find her family missing and Charles pointing a gun at her. She says that she cooperated with him because he had told her that her family were being held hostage and that if she did exactly as he asked, they would remain safe.

Charles and Caril stayed together in the house for about 6 days and a note was put on the front door for visitors to stay away as the family had the flu. Caril's grandmother became suspicious and contacted the police, however when the police arrived, Charles and Caril had already left.

Some time later the pair drove to a farmhouse and murdered 70 year old August Meyer, they also shot his dog before they left and decided to abandon their car.

A young couple, Robert Jensen (17) and Carol King (16) were driving by when they spotted Caril and Charles walking in the road and decided to stop and give them a ride. Charles and Caril got into the car and quickly switched from being nice and polite to hostile pretty quick with Charles pointing the gun at the couple and forcing them to drive to an abandoned storm cellar in Bennet.

Robert was shot in the back of the head and Charles attempted to rape Carol, when he was unable to so he became frustrated and angry and fatally shot her. According to Charles, he killed Robert but it was Caril who killed Carol King. Caril claimed that she stayed in the car the entire time and didn't take part.

The pair took off in Robert's car and drove to an affluent area of Lincoln. They targeted the home of C. Lauer Ward. As they entered the house they realised that their maid, Lilian Fenci (51) was the only one home so Charles stabbed her to death and they waited for C. Lauer (47) and his wife, Ciara (46) to return home.

Charles also killed their dog by breaking it's neck. Ciara was the first to arrive home and was stabbed to death, Charles later claimed that he threw a knife at Ciara but it was Caril who stabbed her numerous times. When C. Lauer did eventually return home, Charles fatally shot him.

Not long after this, Charles and Caril filled up C. Lauer's car with stolen goods and left Nebraska.

The murders shocked the local people within Lancaster County and the police were everywhere trying to find out information about the people who had carried out these horrendous crimes, they went from door to door trying to find the killers and gather as much information as they could.

There were several reports by the locals that they had seen Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate at various times and locations within the area but the Lincoln Police Department was accused of being too slow with not chasing up leads quick enough.

Knowing that the police were on their tail, Charles and Caril knew they had to find another car as soon as possible. They spotted a travelling salesman (Merle Collison, 37) who was asleep in his car along the highway outside Douglas, Wyoming. They woke the unsuspecting man up and he was fatally shot by Charles who later accused Caril of performing a Coup-de-grace, he claimed she was the ''most trigger happy person'' he had ever met. Caril has always denied killing anyone and claims to have been a victim who just followed Charles out of fear for her life.

They attempted to drive away in Merle's car but it stalled because the brake had not been released, a good Samaritan stopped by and offered to help but Charles threatened him with the gun and a struggle ensued. During the commotion a police officer just happened to be driving by and stopped. In a strange turn of events, Caril ran to the officer screaming ''It's Starkweather! He's going to kill me!''

Charles managed to get the car started and drove off, exceeding speeds of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). A bullet shattered the windscreen and some of the flying glass had caught his skin, he thought he had been shot as he could see some blood. Eventually he knew the game was up and surrendered to the police. Converse County Sheriff Earl Heflin said ''He thought he was bleeding to death. That's why he stopped. That's the kind of yellow son of a b*tch he is.''

In custody, Charles claimed that he did kidnap Caril and that everything was all down to him. However, he changed his story several times and testified during Caril's trial that she was just as much a part of the murders as he was.

(Charles Starkweather, Picture credit: Murderpedia)

Caril still claims to this day that she thought her family was being held hostage and that she had to do everything Charles had said or he would kill them. Investigators and the Judge didn't believe Caril as there were so many opportunities for her to have escaped or called for help.

When Charles was first taken to Nebraska Penitentiary after his trial he believed that he was supposed to be put to death and claimed that if he was to be executed then Caril should be too.

For some reason, Charles was only tried for the murder of Robert Jensen, possibly because he was given the death penalty. He was to be executed by electric chair at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln, Nebraska. His sentence was pretty quick compared to a lot of other cases where people can be on death row for years, even decades.

Charles Raymond Starkweather was executed on the 25th of June 1959. He is buried in the same cemetery (Wyuka Cemetery) as five of his victims.

''They say this is a wonderful world to live in, but I don't believe that I ever did really live in a wonderful world...the more I looked at people, the more I hated them, because I knowed [sic] there wasn't any place for me with the kind of people I knowed. I used to wonder why they was here, anyhow. A bunch of goddamned sons-of-b*tches looking for somebody to make fun of.'' - Charles Starkweather.

Caril Ann Fugate was the youngest female in US history to date to be tried for first degree murder. She was sentenced to life imprisonment but was paroled after 17 years in 1976. On her release from prison she moved to Lansing, Michigan and had various jobs such as janitorial assistant and medical technician. She has since retired.

She married a man in 2007 by the name of Fredrick Clair, in another strange turn of events, the couple were involved in a car accident in 2013, Fredrick died at the scene but Caril managed to survive the crash. Her stepson had since claimed that she has suffered various strokes over the years and is said to be living a private life somewhere in Michigan.

Caril had this to say about Charles: ''I told him I didn't want to see him again but he came back. I kept telling him to leave. I told him to leave and I didn't want to ever see him again. Don't you think that I, everyday of my life, that I think to myself, why dear God didn't he just kill me and be done with it?''



Lyrics from Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska


''From the town of Lincoln, Nebraska with a sawed-off .410 on my lap. Through the badlands of Wyoming I killed everything in my path. 

I can't say that I'm sorry for the things that we done. At least for a little while sir, me and her, we had us some fun.

Now the jury brought in a guilty verdict and the judge he sentenced me to death. Midnight in a prison store room with leather straps across my chest.

Sheriff when the man pulls that switch sir and snaps my poor neck back. You make sure my pretty baby is sittin' right there on my lap.

They declared me unfit to live, said into the great void my soul'd be hurled. They wanted to know why I did what I did. Well sir, I guess there's just a meanness in this world.'' 


My thoughts...


I remember watching Natural Born Killers years ago but at that time I didn't know it was inspired by a real case. It's a crazy, disturbing story and when I think of Charles and Caril, I think of them as a kind of young Bonnie and Clyde, not to make them sound glamorous but I guess it was also really shocking because they were young, especially Caril.

Do I think that Caril was innocent? I think that she may have been wrapped up in the fantasy with Charles and being such a young age too. I do think he was the one in charge and with his handsome looks and rebellious attitude, this may have seen exciting for Caril.

It's like they both thought they were in a movie but reality soon caught up with them. When Caril was arrested she was reported to have smiled at the cameras and Charles was always doing his James Dean pose. They strike me as immature with no remorse for their actions.

The authorities didn't waste anytime putting Charles to death, nowadays these death row sentences can take a very long time.

What are your thoughts on this case? Should Caril have been released or should she have remained in prison? Let me know in the comments below.

RIP:

Robert Colvert
Marion Bartlett
Valda Bartlett
Betty Jean Bartlett
August Meyer
Robert Jensen
Carol King
C. Lauer Ward
Ciara Ward
Lilian Fenci
Merle Collison


Further reading & sources:

Charles Starkweather: Murderpedia
Charles Starkweather: Find A Grave
Starkweather Case: Lincoln City Libraries
Charles Starkweather: Wikipedia
Caril Ann Fugate: Wikipedia
Caril Ann Fugate: Psychology Today
Charles Starkweather: Born To Kill? Documentary


Thanks as always for checking out my latest post x

It's been quite a while since I started writing about true crime cases and to celebrate my 20th case, I thought I would do a little Q&A on here as I'm always getting questions from my amazing readers/subscribers. I decided to take a few and include them on here. I will be doing Q&A posts here and there so if you have any questions, they are always welcome.

So grab some tea, coffee or whatever you prefer & let's get into it...

1) Do you have a fave serial killer? (from @AsylumOfSins & @Dark_History1 on Instagram):

I don't know if ''favourite'' is the word but I enjoy researching and finding out everything I can about a certain serial killer. I have many that I'm interested in researching and it changes. Right now, I'm interested in Edmund Kemper, BTK and looking more into the background of John Wayne Gacy.

2) What was the strangest case you've researched? (from @HorrorDude_89 on Instagram):

There's been quite a few cases which have been very strange indeed but I suppose the one that comes to mind is the Heather Elvis case. Although a lot of us think that a certain couple are responsible, it seems as if Heather just vanished off the face of the earth and nobody has seen or heard from her since. There's a lot of theories about what happened to her and it's really sad. I wish that Heather's family and friends were given proper closure and that justice was properly served. There's always that dream that Heather will turn up somewhere alive and well someday, it's not a silly dream, we've seen it happen before where someone who has been missing for years or even decades has been returned to their families.

3) What's been the most disturbing case that you've encountered? (from @HalloweenIsMyXmas on Instagram): 

There's been many but from the ones that I have covered on here, I would say The Sylvia Likens Case, The McDonald's Massacre and The Ricardo Lopez Case

4) What's your dream date night? (from @BeardedMonkey on Instagram): 

It has to include, horror movies or psychological thrillers and either Domino's pizza or some Chinese takeaway. Drinks and candles.

5) What's your fave true crime story? (from @_Criminology_101 on Instagram): 

Again, I wouldn't say favourite, but cases such as Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, BTK, Jeffrey Dahmer intrigue me because these guys lived double lives and if you didn't know anything about them and stood next to them in the coffee queue, you would probably think that they were nice, friendly guys because they could come over as charismatic (especially Ted Bundy).

Q6) Have you ever done any research on self described 'Angel of Death', Donald Harvey? (from @Citizen_ed on Instagram:

I saw a little bit of a documentary on him some time ago and I recently read about a case (I think it was in Germany) where there was a male nurse who was doing the same things as Donald had done in his crimes. The nurse would inject harmful dosages into patients and then when the patients were at deaths door, having convulsions or heart attacks, he would rush in and try to save them. He managed to get away with this for quite a while and was often hailed as a hero for managing to bring the patients back from the brink. Some patients unfortunately died. He was caught eventually.

I'm going to add Donald Harvey to my list of cases to cover because I'm really interested in looking more into this case, thank you for bringing it up in your question.

Q7) Would you investigate a murder? (from @GhostFaceChili on Instagram): 

If I was a trained cop I would lol.

Q8) I'm a big fan of your work, do you have plans to have your own podcast? (from @SignedWithLippy on Twitter):

First of all, thank you so much!! Secondly, I would love to have my own podcast at some point but I've heard it can be quite expensive getting the equipment together and I wouldn't know where to start (any advice would be greatly appreciated) plus, knowing me, I'd have to have background music and art work so that it isn't just me droning on and on. I like to set the scene lol.

Q9) Please write a true crime book, I would totally buy it and if possible could you sign it? (from @HoneyHutchence on Twitter):

Thank you so much, that is my dream to be a true crime writer and yes, I would sign the book for you.

Q10) Who is your favourite true crime writer? (from @DeanEyedMonster on twitter):

First of all, Reg McKay (RIP), I love his books so much and he will always be my no1 inspiration. If I ever do get to write a true crime book, he'll be one of my dedications. I'm always telling people to read his books.

Professor David Wilson, David is just awesome and I could sit and listen to him talk all day, he is so full of knowledge and interesting facts about all kinds of cases. His books are fantastic and he has popped up in a few true crime documentaries. Right now he has his own series ''David Wilson's Crime Files'' on BBCiPlayer. Go and check it out.

Q11) Jack The Ripper - a Royal, a doctor or something else? (from @Horror_Buff_1981): 

I think he was a surgeon but who knows? the mystery remains...

Q12) What are your opinions on the Varg killing Euronymous case? (from @Dancing_Thru_Sunday on Instagram):

I can't remember the full details of this case but it is one that interests me. I'm adding it to my list of cases to cover so keep your eyes peeled.

Q13, Where are you from? (from @TheRealGrungeDaddy on Instagram):

I'm originally from Scotland but currently live in England.

Q14, Who is your favourite TV detective? (from @TheLydonGirl on Twitter):

My ultimate favourites are Columbo and Jim Taggart

Q15, What's your fave true crime/fiction crime on Netflix? (from @BeautyIsMyBag on Twitter):

Without a doubt it has to be Mindhunter!!!

So, there you have it! Thank you so much to all the people who took the time to ask me these awesome questions, I enjoyed answering them, hope you enjoyed my answers.

I'm off to research my latest case now and drink more decaf coffee lol. Thanks as always for all of the kind words and support that I receive regularly on social media. I appreciate it and it's always a lovely thing to read when people tell you how much they enjoy your work.

See you in the next post, much love x

Don't forget to check out this week's case (my 20th case): The Acid Bath Murderer | John George Haigh 

(John George Haigh. Photo credit: theversed.com) 

This is the earliest murder case and serial killer that I have covered here on my blog so far. A lot of people in the UK have heard of John Haigh or as he is infamously known as, ''The Acid Bath Murderer''. Further afield, some people may not have heard of him so I thought I would cover the case this week.

I first heard about John Haigh way back around 2002 when a TV movie based on his crimes was released and it starred an English actor by the name of Martin Clunes. He was usually in comedy roles but this was his first serious role and he did a fantastic job in his portrayal of John George Haigh. You can see this movie called ''A Is For Acid'' on youtube. If you're interested in the case I highly recommend giving it a watch.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, you can now find me on Instagram at: @KittysOnTheCase where I regularly post true crime related bits and pieces amongst other things. And if you enjoy my weekly true crime posts, please consider buying me a coffee to support my research, blog and possibly a future podcast here 

Quick note, this case contains some disturbing and gruesome details so please be warned. 

Let's begin...

John George Haigh was born on the 24th of July in 1909 in Stamford, Lincolnshire and was said to have been a very gifted boy who could play the piano and had a good relationship with his parents. As he grew up in the village of Outwood in the West Riding of Yorkshire, he struggled with his parents' strong religious beliefs, John was not allowed to celebrate Christmas and there was a lot of strict rules in the household and whilst he was coming of age John claimed the experiences he had in his childhood gave him recurring religious nightmares. 

At school his teachers would describe him as bright but mischievous. John liked to play practical jokes on people and learnt how to forge people's signatures which he would often do. 

John won a scholarship to Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield and he won another scholarship to Wakefield Cathedral where he became a choir boy. When he left school at the age of 17 he took an apprenticeship at a motor engineering company for a short while before taking other jobs in insurance and advertising. When he was 21 he was fired from one of his positions after he was suspected of stealing money from a cash deposit box. 

John met and married a pretty 23 year old woman by the name of Beatrice ''Betty'' Hamer. The pair were married on the 6th of July 1934 but the relationship didn't last. That same year, John had been sent to prison for fraud. In one of his previous jobs he had been selling cars that had not belonged to him as well as committing other petty crimes and forgery. He was obsessed with money and tried to create an image for himself with his suits and slicked back hair. He envied the middle class, their financial stability and their lifestyles and wanted that for himself.

As intelligent and charming as he was, John began to realise that the reason he kept being caught for the forgery and thefts was because the victims were alive to report the crimes. He figured that if these people were to disappear, then he could have control of their money, valuables and he could carry on living the lifestyle that he desired without having to face prison.

Whilst John was serving time in prison he began to think about ways that he could carry out his thefts and dispose of the victims and he began reading various books from the prison library. He became obsessed with the murderer Georges-Alexandre Sarret who was a French murderer who disposed of his victims remains in sulphuric acid. John thought this was a great idea and managed to get hold of some samples of sulphuric acid whilst in prison. He would pay some of the other prisoners to bring him some dead field mice and he would conduct little experiments to see how long the mouse would take to disintegrate in the acid. 

Whilst John was in prison, Betty found out that she was pregnant and soon gave birth to their baby daughter but decided to give the child up for adoption. After the breakdown of his marriage and the knowledge of his criminal behaviour, John's family became estranged from him. When he was released from prison in 1943 he returned to London where he had been spending most of his time beforehand and began putting into action what he had been planning in prison, to find someone wealthy, murder them, sell their valuables and then dispose of their body in a vat of acid. 

Whilst working as an accountant in London for an engineering company, he managed to bump into one of his previous employers that he got on really well with at a pub in Kensington. They caught up about old times and his ex employer, William McSwan decided it would be a good idea to introduce the charming John to his parents, Donald and Amy.

William worked for his parents, collecting rent money from the various properties that they owned. It was a family business and John could see that William and his parents were quite well off with money and lived a very luxurious lifestyle which he began to envy.

On the 6th of September 1944, William suddenly disappeared and John went over to his parents house to tell them that William had run off to Scotland to avoid being called up for military service. The truth was that John had struck Wiliiam violently over the head with a lead pipe after luring him into the basement at 79 Gloucester Road in London SW7 before dumping his body in a 40-gallon drum and filling it with sulphuric acid.

John wore a freakish ensemble which consisted of a war time gas mask, a large rubber apron, rubber gloves and wader length rubber boots whilst using the acid to dispose of William's body. Two days later he returned to find that William's remains were nothing but mush and he poured the disgusting contents of the drum down a manhole. 

Believing the charming John Haigh that their son was in Scotland, they decided that John could take over William's job of collecting the rents. This suited John for a little while but then he decided he could have even more money if he murdered the parents and sold their properties. When William's parents began to ask questions about why William had not returned home since the war was coming to an end, John decided to invite them over to William's house (which he was now living in) under the pretence that William had made a surprise return.

On the 2nd of July, the couple arrived at Gloucester Road looking forward to seeing their son. John led them into the basement where he murdered them and disposed of their bodies in acid. He then stole their cheque and pension books as well as selling their properties for which he made about £8,000. He then moved into Onslow Court Hotel in Kensington.

John was addicted to gambling and was running out of money fast by the summer of 1947 so he made plans to find a new victim or victims. He targeted a couple called Archibald and Rose Henderson who were selling their house, he struck up a friendship with them and Rose even invited him to their housewarming party where he impressed the other guests with his piano skills. 

Whilst he was at their house he stole Archibald's revolver and planned to use the gun in his next murder. John moved his workshop from Gloucester Road to 2 Leopold Road, Crawley in Sussex. He managed to move his 40-gallon drums, acid, equipment etc into this new building. He also stayed at the George Hotel in Crawley from time to time.

He decided on the 12th of February 1948 that he was going to make his next move and murder Archibald and his wife Rose. He invited Archibald to the workshop under the pretence that he was going to show him a secret invention he was working on. Archibald had no reason to doubt the well spoken, smartly dressed and friendly John Haigh, so he went along. John shot Archibald in the back of the head with the stolen revolver. 

He planned to murder Rose too and decided to call her and make up a story that Archibald had fallen ill and could she come over right away. Rose was concerned for her husband so she went over as fast as she could and she too was shot. 

John put on his rubber apron, war time gas mask, gloves and wader length rubber boots & put the two bodies into the oil drums & began to fill them with acid.

He forged a letter from the couple and managed to sell all of their possessions for around £8,000 but decided that he wanted to keep their car and pet dog. 

His last victim is reported to have been a 69 year old woman by the name of Olive Durand-Deacon who recently lost her husband. Olive was quite wealthy and was a fellow resident at the Onslow Court Hotel. With his usual routine of charm and friendliness, John managed to befriend the woman and told her he was an engineer. She told him she had lots of ideas about inventions and she wanted to ask his advice on one involving artificial nails. John said he would love to talk more about it and show her some things at his workshop.

John shot Olive dead at his workshop on the 18th of February 1949 and removed all of her valuables that she had on her which included a real fur coat, money, pieces of jewellery and placed her body into the drum with the acid as he had done with his other victims. Two days later, one of Olive's friends had reported her missing.

(4 of John Haigh's victims. He also murdered Amy's husband Donald and Son William) 

Due to John's history of fraud, it didn't take long for the police to track him down to his workshop where they made some gruesome discoveries. They found a case filled with documents and receipts which related to the sales of the McSwan and Hendersons houses as well as a dry cleaners receipt for Olive's fur coat.

The workshop which was rented by John did not contain a floor drain which his previous one at Gloucester Road had so he disposed of the liquefied remains at the back of the property. Some of the remains had not completely dissolved so investigators were able to find part of a human foot, human gallstones and part of a denture believing to have belonged to Olive. The police found the 28 pounds of human body fat on a rubble pile.

John George Haigh was swiftly arrested and taken to the police station, during questioning he asked Detective Inspector Albert Webb ''Tell me frankly, what are the chances of anybody being released from Broadmoor?'' (a high security psychiatric hospital in Crowthorne, Berkshire). The detective replied that he couldn't discuss that sort of thing to which John said ''Well if I told you the truth, you would not believe me. It sounds too fantastic to believe.''

John then went on to confess to the murders of Olive, The McSwans and the Hendersons. He claimed to have killed three other people too, a young man by the name of Max, a girl from Eastbourne and a woman from Hammersmith. These three other murders could not be substantiated. 

John was sentenced to death by hanging and the door of the cell to which he had been held was preserved and is currently on display at the Horsham Museum 

When he was in the condemned cell in Wandsworth Prison it was reported that he asked a guard if there was the possibility that they could do a trial run of his hanging to make sure everything would run smoothly but this was refused. 

Just before his execution was carried out, he was asked if he would like a brandy. John George Haigh replied ''Make it a large one, old boy.''

John George Haigh - The Acid Bath Murderer was hanged on the 10th of August 1949. 

My thoughts...

They say money is the root of all evil. I wonder with John Haigh if his childhood of being deprived of celebrating Christmas and the strict rules he had to follow had made him even more hungry for money. It was like he was trying to over compensate for what he missed out on and his greed turned him into a monster. 

The thought of how he disposed of his victims is sickening and how cold, calculated and cruel he was, to trick, lie and steal from people even after they had died without a care in the world.

This is definitely one of the sickest cases I've ever come across. 

What are your thoughts? Leave them below or drop me a line elsewhere on social media.

RIP to Olive, the McSwans, the Hendersons and the other victims of John George Haigh, he could be responsible for more that we'll ever know. 

Further reading & sources:

- John George Haigh | Crime & Investigation

- British Executions | 1949

- John George Haigh | Wikipedia 

- John George Haigh | Murderpedia 

- Serial Killers | John George Haigh 

- A Is For Acid

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- America's Most Dangerous Serial Killer? | Israel Keyes 

(Israel Keyes. Photo credit: gfycat.com) 

I spend a lot of my spare time researching true crime cases and reading up on various serial killers but every now and then, a case or a serial killer will be recommended to me that I haven't come across before. 

I was having a conversation with a friend/subscriber on Instagram about true crime cases and he'd asked me if I had heard of Israel Keyes and suggested that I cover the case, so here I am. I went into this case knowing nothing about it so I didn't know what to expect. Now that I have spent this week looking into this guy, I'm actually quite shocked that not many people know about him and that I hadn't heard of him up until recently. 

So this week I'm covering what could be America's most dangerous serial killer and I have to warn you that some of the details included will be distressing. 

Before I get started, I've been asked a few true crime related questions recently from my readers/subscribers, I've decided that I'm going to do a Q&A post so if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below or pop them over to me on Instagram or Twitter 

Also, if you enjoy my weekly true crime posts, please consider buying me a coffee to help support my blog and research here 

Let's begin...

Israel Keyes was born in Richmond, Utah on the 7th of January 1978, he was brought up in a Mormon household and was homeschooled. As a child he wasn't sociable and if he wasn't with his parents, or playing by himself, he was attending church. He moved with his parents to the Aladdin Road area of Colville in Washington where he and his parents attended a church that held very strong anti-Semitic and racist views. At some point during his childhood, Israel began to torture animals as a way of gaining control, he enjoyed the power of having a vulnerable life in his hands. 

His parents became good friends with their neighbour Chevie Kehoe who was a white supremacist and later, a murderer having killed William Mueller and his family in 1996. He is currently in prison serving three consecutive life sentences, His accomplice received a death sentence and is scheduled to be executed in December of this year (2019).

Although he lacked social skills and was quite a loner who preferred his own company, he was intelligent and seemed to have no problem having relationships with girls. 

From what we know based on police interviews with Israel, he would enjoy stealing and committing petty crimes, sometimes taking things a step further and robbing banks. He loved the excitement and power that gave him, he thought he was so clever, trying to outsmart the police. 

In 1996, he encouraged a teenage girl away from her friends and once he had her alone, he sexually assaulted her. He had thoughts of killing her but decided to let her go. For whatever reasons, no charges were filed and Israel decided that he wanted to go that step further and kill someone. He had a thirst to kill but do it in ways that he would remain undetected, he admired Ted Bundy but unlike Ted (who would target young, attractive women with hair parted down the middle except for his last victim who was a 12 year old child) he wasn't bothered who he killed, they could be young, old, black, white, male, female, he didn't care, he just wanted to kill so badly.

He wanted to perfect his skills so he served in the U.S Army and apart from the fact that his colleagues found him to be quite quiet, a bit antisocial, there was nothing to raise any red flags. He did really well in the military and was a quick learner. He served from 1998 through to 2001 and was discharged with many awards under his belt which included, Army Achievement Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Expert Infantry Badge and Air Assault Badge.

Despite his achievements in the military, all Israel could think about was killing someone. He wanted to finish his military service as soon as possible so that he could plan the perfect killing and get away with it. 

By the year 2000, Israel was a trained killer. He'd planned what he wanted to do in his mind for years and went to the Army to learn the skills that he would need in order to be a successful killer who would not get caught. 

He later told investigators that he began to murder people around the year 2000. His whole approach to killing was like a military operation, he would bury ''murder kits'' at various locations in America such as Essex in Vermont, Texas, Washington State, New York and Wyoming with the possibility of kits hidden elsewhere.

The purpose of the ''murder kits'' was to save him time carrying weapons around whilst he was travelling. The kits included items such as guns, zip ties, knives, tape etc. 

Israel Keyes claimed to have been committing murders on and off for 14 years. He claimed that he was two people and it certainly looked that way as he managed to hold down relationships, have a child and operated his own business working as a handyman, contractor and construction worker. He lived in an affluent neighbourhood and was popular with the neighbours and the customers that he had worked for. 

The whole time he was living this double life and nobody knew. He would plan his murders, take a plane to whichever part of America he wanted to go, hire a car and pick up one of his ''Murder Kits'' and look for a random victim. The victims could be anyone, it could be someone on their own or a couple, If a person or persons happened to be in the same place as him as any given time, they would be his target.

Sometimes he would decide not to kill someone and just rob them instead. He would use the money he had stolen from his victims to fund his travel across America. This was a hobby for him, a form of enjoyment. He claimed to get a rush from killing. What makes him more dangerous is that he wasn't chasing a specific person, there was no way of knowing who would be next because he wanted to kill, it was all about the killing for him. 

When he was finally arrested, he toyed with the police and would often waste their time telling them that a murder kit was buried in a specific location when it wasn't. This would waste hours of investigators time and he would find the whole thing amusing. He would feed investigators bits of information but hold back on a lot of details. In the 40 hours of recorded interviews which the police later released to the media, you can see that he's enjoying the control he has, there's no remorse or regret about what he had done and he was enjoying playing games with the investigators.

Israel said that he wanted the death penalty and he wanted it quickly, the police did a deal with him. If he gave them some information they would see to it and Israel agreed.

I'm going to go into the murders that we know about and what led up to Israel Keyes arrest.

Israel was hungry to kill someone one afternoon and decided to go to a park where he hid in the bushes with a gun (with a silencer) watching people, he spotted a young couple sitting on a bench and he planned to pounce on them but a police officer appeared along with some other officers and Israel decided to leave.

A few months later on the 8th of June 2011, Israel was on a plane to Chicago, he was planning to find a victim or victims, whoever was unlucky enough to catch his eye. Once in Chicago he hired a car and drove to the town of Essex in Vermont. He drove to a random area and focused on a house, he had no idea who was inside and that didn't matter to him. He sat in the car until he saw the lights go out and about an hour later, he approached the property with a gun in his hand and some of his ''murder kit'' items (he had buried this kit near to this area, two years beforehand).

He could see that the owner or owners of the house did not have a dog or an alarm, he cut the phone and electricity wires and managed to break into the house without making a sound. Upstairs in this house were a middle aged couple called Lorraine and Bill Currier who were hard and fast asleep. Israel looked around the house for money and valuables. Sometimes he would be satisfied with whatever money and valuables he could steal from his victims and leave them alive but on this night he had decided that he was going to kidnap Bill and Lorraine and try to get a ransom.

Once he was in the couple's bedroom, he stood at the foot of the bed with the gun. It is not known what was said but Bill and Lorraine where ordered to get out of the bed and both were bound with zip ties and gagged (which was said to be his routine with all of his victims). Israel forced the two of them out of the house and into his car where he drove them to an abandoned farm that he'd discovered months earlier.

(On the left: Israel Keyes. Left: Bill and Lorraine Currier. Picture credit: dailymail.co.uk) 

He stopped the car outside of the barn and grabbed Bill first, pushing him into the barn and tying him to a stool. Israel looked out towards the car and could see that Lorraine had managed to break loose from the zip ties and was trying to run away. 

Israel ran after the 55 year old woman, got hold of her and dragged her into the barn. Bill had managed to break the stool and was trying to scream at Israel through the gag. Israel picked up a shovel and smashed Bill over the head with it before shooting him dead in front of Lorraine. It is hard to imagine the sheer horror and terror that Lorraine must have been going through to see her husband murdered in front of her for no reason. This couple had no ties to Israel, they didn't know each other, this was just evil and senseless. Lorraine's ordeal at the hands of Israel keyes continued, he sexually assaulted her as the deceased body of her husband lay just a few feet away, then strangled her to death. 

Israel then put the bodies of Bill and Lorraine in refuse bags and put them in the back of his car and drove hundreds of miles to New York where he disposed of the bodies in an unknown location. To this day the bodies of Bill and Lorraine Currier have never been found.

During police interviews, Israel admitted to the murder of a woman called Debbie Feldman who had gone missing in 2009 in New Jersey. Debbie, who was 48 years old, had fallen on hard times and was a known drug addict and sex worker who had been estranged from her family. Israel admitted to abducting her (police suspected that Israel frequently visited sex workers but he never admitted to doing so) and had driven thousands of miles with his murder kit in the car. He would not reveal the full details of what he had done to Debbie but investigators believe that he had beaten her, used his usual routine of using zip ties and a gag and she was most likely sexually assaulted. He drove to a place called Tupper Lake in New York and he was in desperate need of some money so he robbed a bank. It's unknown where Debbie was as this robbery was taking place but is believed that he may have left her barely conscious in a random wooded area or that he had already killed and disposed of her body. Debbie's body was never found.

Whilst Israel was travelling to and carrying out his murders that he carefully planned, he would always pay in cash when he travelled and took the battery out of his phone so that his mobile could not be traced. He would also live a nomadic lifestyle and stay in various cabins in out of reach, wooded areas.

His final killing which led to his arrest, was full of mistakes and not the carefully planned murders he had carried out in the past. 

Samantha Koenig was a pretty 18 year old girl who was working one of her usual shifts at a small road side coffee kiosk called ''Common Grounds'', it was getting late, almost closing time and the snow was heavy and thickly covered the roads and pavements (sidewalks) outside. Sat in a car watching people from across the way was Israel Keyes. This was his town where he lived and he knew it like the back of his hand, but on that night of the 1st of February 2012, he had the urge to do something, to rob someone or something and the coffee kiosk was very much in his sights, he didn't know who was in the kiosk but again, that didn't matter. 

It all became very quiet and there were no more customers around so Israel made his move, the gun in his pocket and holding an empty thermos cup. 

When he reached the customer window, he was greeted by Samantha and he placed the cup on the counter and ordered a drink. He scanned the kiosk and could see that she was on her own, he also looked around outside to see if anyone was around.

(Samantha Koenig. Picture credit: huffpost.com) 

Surveillance cameras captured Samantha and Israels' movements. Samantha turned to give Israel the coffee and was stunned to see him pointing a gun at her, she jumped back in shock but admirably under the circumstances she remained calm and followed his orders.

He told her to turn off the lights which she did. She told him that her Dad was coming to pick her up in 30 minutes but then quickly changed that to ''He'll be here any minute now.'' Israel asked her if she had pressed a panic button and that if she did, he would kill her. Samantha told him that she hadn't.

He told her to empty the cash register and then sit down on the floor. Surveillance footage shows Samantha continuing to follow his orders. At one point he tells her to put a jacket on and he climbs through the customer window.

He then binds her wrists with zip ties and gags her. He forces her to her feet and pushes her towards the back entrance of the kiosk. He tells her to do exactly as he says or he will kill her.

He puts Samantha in the back of his car and drives to his house where he takes her to a tool shed in his back yard. He realises that he accidentally left Samantha's phone and some zip ties back in the kiosk so he ties Samantha up and puts on some loud music before driving back to the kiosk.

(Left: Israel Keyes. Right: Surveillance footage of the coffee kiosk where Samantha Koenig was working. Samantha can be seen following orders from Israel and being abducted. Photo credit: Fox News) 

He used Samantha's phone to text her boyfriend to say that she was going away for the weekend because she had a bad day at work. He then took the battery out of Samantha's phone and returned to the shed. He told her to relax and that he was just kidnapping her for ransom money. He said that as soon as the money was paid he would let her go. 

Again, he didn't go into details about what he had done with Samantha but we do know that he sexually assaulted and strangled her. He left her body in the shed for two weeks whilst he went on a cruise with his family. 

One of Samantha's colleagues had turned up to work the morning after Israel had abducted Samantha and noticed that the cash register was empty and that something wasn't right. 

Samantha's family were frantically looking for her and posters and news reports were spotted by Israel on his return and he could see that a financial reward for information had been offered to any member of the public who knew where Samantha was.

Israel went back to the shed to where Samanthas' body was laid, he really wanted the reward money so he decided to prop Samanthas' body up in a sitting position but her eyes were closed. In another sickening act, he had sewn them open to make it look like she was still alive. He posed her next to a newspaper and took a photo which he then sent to her family demanding $30,000.

Samantha's parents didn't have that kind of money so they appealed to the public and managed to get the cash together to put through Samanthas' bank account as Israel had Samanthas' bank card.

Around about this time that the money had gone through, Israel dismembered Samanthas' body and disposed of her remains in Matanuska Lake, north of Anchorage.

The police had put a tracker on Samanthas' bank card and could see that Israel was withdrawing money from various locations. About a month later on the 13th of March 2012, they tracked Israel down in Texas. Inside his car he had a murder kit, Samanthas' phone, rolled up notes of cash and Samanthas' bank card. The game was up, there was to be no more killing at the hands of Israel Keyes.

When he was arrested, you would hope to think that it would be the end of the nightmare but it wasn't. Israel toyed with the police and was constantly sketchy about details, one thing was for sure though, he was very concerned about his name getting out into the public domain and what effect that would have on his daughter and family. 

On one occasion there was a news report that mentioned Israels' name and one of the murders he committed, he was so angry that he refused to speak to investigators for two months. 

He did eventually tell the police where Samanthas' body was and they managed to find her remains but he didn't tell them where Debbie, the Curriers or any of his other victims were buried.

(Israel Keyes toying with investigators as they try to find out more information about his victims. Photo credit: northcountrypublicradio.org) 

Israel admitted that he had committed numerous murders all over America as well as bank robberies and other crimes. He said that he had plans to kill more people and that if he had not been caught he would have carried on. 

Throughout the months of interviews by authorities, Israel Keyes did not show one ounce of remorse or regret for what he had done. 

The police eventually found two of his murder kits, one in New York and the other in the Anchorage suburb of Eagle River that contained a shovel, bottles of liquid clog remover and material for concealing a body and speeding up decomposition.

(One of Israel Keye's ''murder kits''. Picture credit: www.fbi.gov) 

The police believe that Israel keyes may have been responsible for as many as 8 or more murders. He was sketchy with information during interviews and on the 2nd of December 2012, he was found dead in his prison cell after slashing his wrists and hanging himself with a bed sheet. Israel Keyes would have one final act of control and take all of the answers the police and the public were looking for, to his grave. 

Underneath his body was a note which contained nothing about his victims or an apology for his crimes. It was a strange poem which read (it goes on a little bit, you have been warned): 

''Where will you go you clever little worm, if you bleed your host dry?

Back in your ride, the night is still young, streetlights push back the black in neat rows. Off to the right a graveyard appears, lines of stones, bodies moulder below. Turn away quick, bob your head to the seat, as straight through that stop sign you roll loaded truck with lights off slams into you broadside, your flesh smashed as metal explodes.

You may have been free, you loved living your life, fate had it's own scheme crushed like a bug you still die.

Soon, now, you'll join those ranks of dead or your ashes the wind will soon blow. Family and friends will shed a few tears, pretend it's off to heaven you go. But the reality is you were just bones and meat, and with your brain died also your soul.

Send the dying to wait for their death in the comfort of retirement homes, quietly/quickly say 'it's for the best' it's best for you so their fate you will not know. Turn a blind eye back to the screen, soak in your reality shows. Stand in front of your mirror and you preen, in a plastic castle you call home.

Land of the free, land of the lie, land of scheme Americanize! Consume what you don't need, stars you idolize, pursue what you admit is a dream, then it's American die. 

Get in your big car so you can get to work fast, on the roads made of dinosaur bones. Punch in on the clock and sit on your ass, playing stupid ass games on your phone. Paper on the wall says you got smarts. The test that you took told you so, but you would still crawl like the vermin you are, once your precious power grids blown.

Land of the free, land of the lie, land of the scheme, Americanize.

Now that I have you held tight I will tell you a story, speak soft in your ear so you know that it's true. You are my love at first sight and though you're scared to be near me, my words penetrate your thoughts now in an intimate prelude.

I looked in your eyes, they were so dark, warm and trusting, as though you had not a worry or care. The more guiless [sic] the game the better potential to fill up those pools with your fear.

Your face framed in dark curls like a portrait, the sun shone through highlights of red. What color I wonder, and how straight will it turn plastered back with the sweat of your blood. 

Your wet lips were a promise of a secret unspoken, nervous laugh as it burst like a pulse of blood from your throat. There will be no more laughter here.

I feel your body tense up, my hand now on your shoulder, your eyes...Forget the lady called luck she does not abide near me for her powers don't extend to those who are dead.

[illegible words] would that I could keep you, let you be the master of your own fate...knowing full well what's at stake? My pretty captive butterfly colourful wings my hand smears..I somehow repaint them with punishment and tears.

Violent metamorphosis, emerge my dark moth princess, I would come often and worship on the alter of your flesh...you shudder with revulstion [sic] and tru to shrink far from me. I'll have you tied down and begging to become my stockholm sweetie.

Okay, talk is over, words are placid and weak. Back it with action or it all comes off cheap.Watch close while I work now, feel the electric shock of my touch, open your trembling flower, or your petals I'll crush.'' - Israel Keyes 

My thoughts...

As I mentioned before, I had no idea of the background of this case before it was recommended to me and I had done my research. Israel Keyes was a frightening individual as all serial killers are but he was a different kind of evil, he just lived to kill had no intentions to stop. 

There's probably hundreds of people out there who are missing that may have come into contact with Israel Keyes and nobody will ever find out what happened to them because he was very careful in the beginning. 

Some people think that he was careless with Samanthas' bank card because he wanted to get caught, maybe he though he was just too invincible. In the interview room with investigators, he sits on his chair with his coffee cup and smirk on his face like he is the star of the show and everybody is hanging on every word he says. You could see that he enjoyed the power of knowing where the bodies were and having all of the information.

A lot of serial killers enjoy the notoriety and the nicknames they are given when their crimes are discovered, Israel didn't want that sort of attention, he wanted to carry on killing and wanted to enjoy the news reports of people wondering who could have committed these murders but he didn't want his name attached to the crimes. 

He enjoyed outsmarting the police and leaving everyone wondering who and why and where. It was like he got a kick out of it. 

I'm not against homeschooling because I know there's parents out there who do a wonderful job but you have to wonder what was going on behind closed doors with his parents. You can tell that the parents were not exactly upstanding members of the community when they are friends with a racist murderer and attending white supremacist meetings.

Not a lot is known about his childhood or the background of of the relationship with his parents but one thing's for sure, he was a very sick, evil and twister individual.

I read an interview that Bills' mother had done after she found out that Israel had committed suicide and she said that at least she and her family would not have to be put through a trial. 

I feel so sorry for these people who lost their lives and their families. I also feel sorry for those who have missing relatives that they believe could have died at the hands of Israel Keyes. There are so many missing people in America that would have vanished around the same time that he was killing people and families won't be able to get the proper closure and answers they need.

I think he was a coward, he claimed he wanted the death penalty quickly but before he could face the trial he took his own life. Maybe he couldn't face the relatives? Or maybe he knew that his face would be all over the media and his daughter and family would all know how evil he was. he did say in an interview that he didn't want people to know about the sexual things that he did to his victims. 

What are your thoughts on Israel Keyes? Let me know in the comments below or elsewhere on social media (see below for my links and previous true crime cases)

Thanks as always for reading and I'll catch you in the next case x 

RIP Samantha, Debbie, Bill, Lorraine and all of the other countless victims of Israel Keyes. 

Further reading and sources:

- Oxygen - Crime Time  

- Wikipedia - Israel Keyes

- New York Post Article 

- Israel Keyes - Murderpedia 

- Alaska Public Article 

- Catching A Serial Killer 

- Dark Minds 

- Confessions Of a Serial Killer 

- Israel Keyes - Full Interrogation (6hrs)